At Last

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
Women’s Grand Prix 2019–2020; 3rd stage; Lausanne, March 6, 2020
Sicilian Defence B33

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. g3 Bg7 12. exf5 Bxf5 13. Bg2 Rc8 14. c3 0-0 15. Nc2 Be6 16. a4 bxa4 17. Rxa4 a5 18. Nce3 f5 19. 0-0 Rb8 20. Nc4 Rb5 21. Qd2 Rc5 22. Rd1 e4 23. Nf4 Bf7 24. Nxd6 Bb3 25. Raa1 Qb6. Not 25. ... Bxd1?? on account of 26. Ne6 winning instantly. Interesting was 25. ... Be5 26. Nb7 Qxd2 27. Rxd2 Rb5 28. Nd6 Rd8! with approximately even chances. 26. Qe3 Bxd1 27. Rxd1. Now 27. Ne6 Qxb2! 28. Qg5 Qxc3 29. Rxd1 e3! would be rather unclear, but probably good for Black. 27. ... Qb3? A mistake that could have cost 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) the game. Probably best was 27. ... Ne5! 28. Rd5 (or 28. Ne6 Qb3!=) 28. ... Rc6! somehow holding everything together. 28. Rd2+− Re5 29. Bf1 Kh8 30. Bc4 Qa4 31. Nf7+ Rxf7 32. Bxf7 Bh6 33. Rd6 Bf8 34. Rd7. 34. Ne2! (Δ Qe3-g5) 34. ... Re7 35. Bh5+− is another easy win. 34. ... Re7 35. Rxe7 Bxe7 36. Ng6+. The prophylactic move 36. Kg2! is probably even more merciless, but, of course, there’s nothing wrong with the text, either. 36. ... Kg7 37. Nxe7 Nxe7 38. Bh5 Qa1+ 39. Kg2 Qxb2 40. Qc5 Qb7 41. Qxa5 Qc6 42. Qa7 Qf6 43. Be2 Kg6 44. Qc5 Nc6 45. c4 Kg7 46. Qe3 Kg6 47. h4 h6 48. Qb6 Nd4 49. Bh5+ Kg7 50. Qb7+. 50. Qxf6+?? Kxf6 51. Kf1 Ke5 yields only a draw. 50. ... Kf8 51. c5 Nc6 52. Qc8+ Kg7 53. Qd7+ Kf8 54. Qe8+ Kg7 55. Bd1 Nd4 56. Ba4 Qe6 57. Qxe6 Nxe6 58. c6 Kf6 59. Bb3 Nc7 60. g4. 60. Kh3! Ke5 61. g4! f4 62. h5! e3 63. Bc4!+− was another way to win. 60. ... f4. With 60. ... fxg4 61. Kg3 e3! 62. fxe3 h5 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) might offer tougher resistance, even though after let’s say 63. Bc2 Black can hardly hope to save the ending. 61. Bc2 Ke5 62. h5 Ne6

Now 63. g5! easily wins in all variations, but Muzychuk must have thought it was too easy, apparently (and very erroneously) believing that she could afford to first give up her Bishop: 63. Bxe4?? Kxe4 64. g5 Ke5 65. gxh6 Kf6 66. Kh3 Kf7 67. Kg4 Kg8 68. Kf5 Nd4+ 69. Kxf4 Nxc6 70. Kg5 Nd4 71. Kg6 Nf3 72. h7+ Kh8 73. Kh6 Nd4 74. f4 Nf5+ 75. Kg6 Ne7+ 76. Kf7 Nd5 77. f5 Kxh7 78. Ke6 Nf4+ 79. Ke7 Nxh5 80. f6 Nxf6 81. Kxf6 ½ : ½.

How strange is to play a game while keeping each other at a distance! Photo © David Llada.